Process for producing woollike effects on cotton fabrics.



PATIENT Farce.

GEORGES HEBERLEIN, 0F WATTWIL, SWITZERLAND.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGES HEBERLEIN, a

citizen of the Swiss Republic, and resident of W'attwil, Canton of St.Gall, Switzer-,

land, have invented a New Process for Producing Woollike Effects onCotton Fabrics, of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact specification.

As observed by Mercer in 1844 and by others later if concentratedsulfuric acid be causedto act on cotton, the cotton assumesa transparentparchment-like appearance. According to Mercer this effect is to beobtained with sulfuric acid of from 495 to 58.5 Be, whereby thecellulose properties are altered. Blondell (Bull. Rouen, vol. 10, 1882,pages 438, 471-472) has however observed that sulfuric acid of 45 to 50B. imparts to cellulose the property of being capable of being readilydyed with methylene blue but imparts to it a parchment-like effect onlywhen the concentration of the acid is from 53 to 55 B. (Bull. Rotten,vol. 10, 1882, page 471). As a matter of fact sulfuric acid having aconcentration of 51 B.- and above, has an action on cellulose which isentirely different from the action thereon of acid whose concentrationis below 51 B. Although more highly concentrated acid imparts to cottonafter a few seconds action a transparent parchment-like appearance, anacid of B. for instance, even after acting for say, lo minutes, will notcause a like alteration of the cellulose, which however, incontradistinction to the effect of a slightly stronger acid, will not beweakened by even longer action.

The present invention is based on the ob servation that the action ofsulfuric acid of a concentration of less-than 51 B. is much moreintensive and imparts to cotton entirely new properties, if the cottonhas previ- 1 ously been mercerized and thereby rendered more capable ofbeing acted upon by the acid. If cotton fabric which has been mercerizedandalso preferably bleached, be sub- 'jected to the action of sulfuricacid of from 49 to 51 B. (the best action is obtained between 49.5 and50.5 B.) the mercerizing luster disappears and instead of thetransparency obtained with the higher concentration the fabric assumes afine, light, crape-like nature, whereby it appears fuller, morewool-like, softer, and is generally improved and it has imparted to itsomewhat the character of fine woolen stuff, the effect Specification ofletters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Application field May 28, 1914. Serial No. 841 ,594.

, ing smooth, patterned, or embroidered, fabrics and patterned effectcanbe produced on plain cotton fabrics by printing on the merceriz'edfabrics with sulfuric acid of say 50 B. and washing out after printing.The fabric can also be printed on with a suitable reserve (for instance,gum thickening) and then the fabric be dipped into sulfuric acid of theaforesaid concentration and washed out. In these cases, the places wherethe acid has acted, the fabric shows the aforesaid alteration, while theplaces which have in the one case not been printed on by the acid and inthe other case have been printed on by the reserve, preserve theappearance of the unchanged, mercerized cotton. In

this way it is possible to obtain patterns duration of the action thanis necessary for the obtainment of the effect for instance 15 minutes,or more, has as a rule no injurious action.

In using sulfuric acid of from 50.5 to 51 B., which is capable ofcausing after an action of a few seconds duration a transparentparchment-like effect on previously mercerized goods, the reaction inaccordance with the present invention takes a longer time, say, a fewminutes.

What-I claim is:

1. The described process for producing wool-like effects on cottonfabrics, consisting of taking mercerized fabrics and subjecting them forsome minutes to the action of sulfuric acid of a concentration of from49 to 51 Be. and then washing out the acid.

2. The described process for the production of wool-like pattern efiectson cotton fabrics consisting of subjecting for some minutes to theaction of sulfuric acid of from 49 to 51 B. the places of mercerizedcotton fabrics where pattern effects are to be produced and then washingout the acid.

3. The described process for the productionof Wool-like pattern efiectson dotton my name this 16 day of May 1914, in the fabrics consisting ofprinting the re'qulred presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

pattern on mercerized cotton fabrics with GEORGES HEBERLEIN. sulfuricacid from 49 to 51 B. and finally Witnesses: 5 washing out the acidafter some minutes. E. T. HiiRLER,

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed C. UTENBER.

